Orillia’s Human Hummingbirds – Christine Hager
When Christine Hager sold her house, she moved into a rental complex that had a big bin at the back where residents put all their waste – recycling, compostables, paper, containers – all of it jumbled together in one, often overflowing, bin. There was no sorting done. Worse, the lid on the container was heavy […]
Be a Hummingbird Hero
Orillia’s Hummingbird Heroes There’s an old story told in Africa about a hummingbird and a forest fire. Alone among the animals, the hummingbird carries water in its tiny beak to help fight the fire. When the other animals point out that it is doing so little against the fire, the hummingbird replies, “I am doing […]
Three Generations of Shillolo Sustainable Champions
Sustainable Orillia Profiles: Directors Mike and Rosanna Shillolo . . . and Zoe Zoe (Zo-ee) Roe, at age 14, already has a history of environmental activism. Now a grade 8 student, she notes, “In grade 6 I wrote about pollution affecting our oceans and I was fortunate enough to be able to share that speech […]
Celebrate the Future on Arbour Day!
Celebrate the Future on Arbour Day! J. Sterling Morton, one of the early leaders of the Arbour Day movement, said, “Other holidays repose upon the past; Arbour Day proposes for the future.” These words truly capture the feeling we experience when we plant trees. Trees, especially saplings, are about the future–critical, long-time partners in […]
Welcome to Sustainable Orillia’s Three New Directors
Sustainable Orillia adds to its board of directors Sustainable Orillia welcomed three local leaders to its board of directors at its recent Annual General Meeting. All are committed to doing their part to protect our planet and to promote sustainable practices for current and future generations. Dr. Sreekumari (Sree) Kurissery is an environmental scientist and […]
Leading Today for Tomorrow – Meet Blythe Wieclawek
Leading Today for Tomorrow – Meet Blythe Wieclawek. When it comes to Climate Change, today’s youth is demonstrating true strategic capacity in the pursuit of long-term, sustainable goals, while ensuring that the requisite change starts today. This is particularly true of Blythe Wieclawek, a grade ten student at Orillia’s Twin Lakes and an active member […]
It’s “BYOB” at Orillia’s Home Hardware Building Centre
Our local Home Hardware store on West Street has taken yet one more step toward greater sustainability: as of February 1, 2020, the store will no longer be providing single use plastic bags for customer purchases. If customers ask for a bag for their purchases, they will be given a choice of two sizes of […]
Fred Larsen – Orillia’s 2020 Citizen of the Year
Since Fred Larsen’s arrival in Orillia in the early 1970’s, he has given back to his chosen community a hundred-fold. Earlier this month, City Council celebrated Fred’s long history of community service, when they voted to confirm him as Orillia’s 2020 Citizen of the Year. Here at Sustainable Orillia we are very proud and grateful […]
The Environment Wins at Apple Annie’s Cafe
It’s the everyday practical things that each of us do to protect and preserve our environment that truly make a difference. “Local Heroes” is a series of articles recognizing the efforts that individuals, businesses and organizations are doing, here in the Orillia area. Sustainable practices, that when carried out consistently, over time, make a positive […]
Parry Automotive: “Recycling? Hey, That’s Our Business”
This story started with a brief comment made by Steve Van Kessel, co-owner of Orillia’s Parry Automotive company, at a Kiwanis Club lunch meeting last spring. Following a short presentation to the Club about Sustainable Orillia’s beginnings, Van Kessel remarked that his company collected plastic containers that were contaminated by their contents and shipped them […]